Radiation-curable inkjet ink compositions are known in the art. These ink compositions comprise one or more radiation curable components. A special class of radiation curable inkjet ink compositions are phase change radiation curable inkjet ink compositions. These inks are fluid at elevated temperature and become solid—even if not yet cured—at lower temperatures. These inks are typically jetted at elevated temperatures. Phase change inks may become solid or semi-solid upon cooling down on a recording medium, e.g. a sheet of paper. As a result, spread of a droplet of ink on the recording medium may be decreased and color bleeding may be prevented. An example of a phase change radiation curable inkjet ink is a gelling radiation curable inkjet ink. Gelling radiation curable inkjet ink compositions typically comprise a gellant. Gellants are also known in the art as gelling agents or thickeners. Examples of gellants used in gelling radiation curable inkjet ink compositions are waxes, such as natural waxes and long chain carboxylic acids, and ketones.
The gelling behavior (e.g. viscosity of the droplet and speed of gelling) influences the behavior of the ink droplets on the recording medium. The behavior of the droplets may influence the visual appearance of the print.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a gelling radiation curable ink composition wherein the gelling behavior can be tuned.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a gelling radiation curable ink composition that comprises alternative gellants.